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Roasted Broccoli with Raisin (Craisin) Vinaigrette

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This weekend has kind of been one of failures, or at least I should say the weekend of very unphotogenic food. For instance, take my broccoli swiss quiche for church. It was very good, but the lighting at 8 o’clock at night was terrible and I could just never get my who-knows-how-many-cups of broccoli florets to look right. Plus, it was for church, and though I got to try it the next day, I didn’t have my camera with which to take better pictures of it when plated.

The other endeavor this weekend was a little more comical. My eight-year-old brother had been pining for me to make him something that was sweet and gluten-free, in other words, cupcakes, preferably chocolate. Yet because I had made the quiche the day before and we only had egg yolks left over, I had to use something I rarely employ: dehydrated egg whites. And, the cupcakes had to be gluten-free and dairy-free. Out went whole milk, in went soy milk. Out went butter, in went canola oil. As these changes were being made I kept thinking that, well, these could be so much more interesting, and I really didn’t see how this Ghirardelli Chocolate cookbook recipe was going to be that chocolatey. So, instead of stirring the cocoa in with the dry ingredients, I mixed it with the hot espresso, and added another tablespoon of dutch-processed cocoa powder. Lastly, I decided that these were just going to be too boring, and added 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the cocoa/espresso mixture, and into the oven they went. Now, they taste great, but for whatever reason they kind of collapsed, or at least a few of them did, right out of the oven. This may have been because I didn’t cook them for quite the amount of time stated. It might have been because I tried to sour the soymilk, because I was afraid the dutched cocoa wouldn’t be quite acidic enough, overactivating the soda, causing a profusion of bubbles, and a collapse…I don’t know….Anyways, that is what happened. I also decided there would be no frosting (trying to be health concious, or somewhat as I prepare for Thanksgiving when all hope will be lost) which might have diguised the craters in the top.

Yet despite all of this, they taste positively divine. I am truthfully just too tired to type up the recipe, and would much rather get on to something that is not sweet, not boring, and not too hideous. Today I decided to make a salad I found through Bon Appetit. It sounded interesting and it just so happened that I had quite a few broccoli florets left over from the quiche. Now, originally, raisins are used in the dressing, but one review written of the recipe said that craisins worked well. As I prefer them over raisins, I tried them, and they work quite well. Now, I do think that perhaps there is a bit much dressing. I am fine with it, but I think this is a personal preference thing. I added some carrots to it in order to fill in for not having quite enough broccoli and they also seem to work well.

Over the next week, I am hoping to not get too much homework so that I can begin testing out candidates for new Thanksgiving recipes. Will this happen? I’m not so sure. I do have quite a few recipes to try out though, so the less homework the better!

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place broccoli on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 (2) tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast broccoli until tender and brown in spots (I would say to roast covered with tinfoil for maybe 20-25 minutes-depending on floret size), about 25 minutes.

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About Madeleine C.

Hi I'm Madeleine and I am an avid cook and baker! Between school, homework swimming, and everything else in my life, I really enjoy cooking! I am 15 (now 16) years old, and have two brothers, both of whom have celiac disease along with my father. For this reason, I often make gluten-free things that will satisfy them as well as those who can readily consume gluten. I enjoy making the complex and the simple, and enjoy a challenge while cooking. That's just about it!